NHS trust draws up its Ebola contingency plans

A Doncaster NHS trust has drawn up a plan to manage any local issues with the deadly Ebola disease.

The Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has put contingency plans in place in the event of anyone in the borough becoming infected with the Ebola virus.

A board of governors’ meeting was told that ‘the Trust had taken appropriate action to prepare any local issues in line with Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response – EPRR – and other advice’.

A schedule of timelines actions and assurance including an assessment were included in a report which was given out to health chiefs who attended the governors’ meeting.

Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that originated in Africa, where there is currently an outbreak.

The current outbreak of the Ebola virus mainly affects three countries in West Africa – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Around 22,000 cases and more than 8,800 deaths have been reported by the World Health Organisation – which is the largest known outbreak of the disease.

A person infected with Ebola virus will typically develop a fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, a sore throat, and intense muscle weakness.

These symptoms start suddenly, between two and 21 days after becoming infected.

If you feel unwell with the above symptoms within 21 days of coming back from Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone, you should stay at home and immediately telephone 111 or 999 and explain that you have recently visited West Africa.

Doncaster aid worker and Oxfam press officer, Ian Bray, travelled to Liberia, West Africa in November last year to help local people stop the spread of Ebola.

More information on Ebola can be found online at www.nhs.uk

For more details on the Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust please go to www.dbh.nhs.uk.